MCBS students win first place in CTF competition NTG Hacktivate

MUSCAT: Modern College of Business and Science (MCBS) student team wins first place at the “Capture the Flag” (CTF) competition organised by the National Technology Group (NTG) Hacktivate. The CTF competition finals were held at the Oman Exhibition and Convention Center in Muscat, Oman. It is the largest annual information security contest in Oman.

The Dean of Modern College of Business and Science, Dr Moosa Al Kindi, expressed his appreciation to the National Technology Group. He added, “The win affirms that Modern College of Business and Science reinforce students’ skills in the field of cybersecurity and increases their employment opportunities in the information technology sector aligning with the growth of the country’s digital economy and the objectives of Oman Vision 2040.”

In March 2023, college and university students were invited by NTG to learn about the program and the competition. More than 64 teams from over 30 higher educational institutes across the Sultanate participated in the competition. NTG ran the competition in two stages: an online first-stage competition and an additional speed-running stage for the best 12 teams.

“We were pleasantly surprised that our efforts during the challenge were well-rewarded. We enjoyed participating in the CTF Competition, where we got to apply our wide breadth of knowledge and showcase our skills in various cybersecurity categories. We are grateful for the chance to engage in hands-on challenges and put our expertise to the test. Thank you for organising such an enriching event that contributed to our growth and development in cybersecurity,” said Ibrahim Al Malki, MCBS Student Team Leader.

The winning team from the MCBS is comprised of five students Ibrahim Al Malki, Haider Ali, Iliyas Al Jabri, Haitham Al Sudairi and Labeeb Al Bahlani. The team was supported throughout the challenge by their faculty advisor Dr Basant Kumar. The winning MCBS team earned their win through their evaluation, report, and presentation at the 32nd Annual Comex event organised by Oman International & Trade Exhibitions (OITE). Engineer Badar Al Salehi, Director General of Oman National Computer Emergency Readiness Team(CERT)and Engineer Dr Omar Al Rasbi, Chief Executive Officer at National Technology Group presented the awards to the winning team.